


Happy Canada Day, Pal

by Somecallmemichelle



Category: Degrassi High, Degrassi Junior High
Genre: 1989, Big Brothers, Canada Day, Gay attraction, Gen, M/M, Repressed Feelings, Sneels, Underage Drinking, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-21 22:57:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11367372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Somecallmemichelle/pseuds/Somecallmemichelle
Summary: His big brother assures him that things "Are getting better", yet in that Canada Day, Snake isn't so sure if his crush on Wheels is something "Fine". Things don't get any better when Wheels invites him to hang around, with beer, given his last experience with the drink.





	Happy Canada Day, Pal

“Look”, Snake holds the phone tight against his hand, so hard it leaves its shape on it. Not the shape of the hand on the phone, because it’s tough plastic, but the shape of the phone on the hand. The person on the other side still talks, and Snake hates what they’re saying, he hates how this whole stuff turns out, he hates how he feels, but he can’t help but recognise it as truth.

  
“It would not be my first pick for you, for either of us, really”, the person on the other side laughs, and Snake laughs too, though his insides seem to be rumbling, almost like he’s a washing machine or some bullcrap, he doesn’t know, he’s almost as bad at English as Wheels is at most everything. Maths are his calling.   
  
He stops, Wheels, this whole dang thing is because of him. And yet though Snake hates to admit it, he misses the other kid, the boy, even when it’s Canada Day and he should think of all the things that Canada, his country has achieved, and he should be proud of, he can’t help but think of Wheels. It might sound lame and totally like a failed attempt at a pickup line, but for all the years Canada has existed, which is like, what, at least a hundred years, Snake has never been good at History, the pinnacle of everything Canada has produced is Wheels.

  
  
There’s a pregnant pause at the phone as the other person on the phone waits for Snake to reply, for Snake to say something, and Snake realises it and shakes his head, trying to clear his mind of the image of the other boy from his head. Finally he replies, though his reply leaves a lot to be desired, being a simple, “Yeah”, because really what else is there to say but that?

 

“Yes, well….”, another pause, another anxious intake of air by Snake as he tries and fails to think of something else to diffuse the situation. Because if that is what he is, and that’s only what he is, what does that make him to others? And he’s heard all the insults, all the allegations of lack of masculinity in the playground, as he has grown, but he doesn’t allow himself to think that far, because he’s still on the phone. The phone that he’s still gripping, trying to understand just how things will turn out from there.

 

“Stay safe, will you, Archie? I’d hate for something to happen to you”, And of course Snake vows to his brother that he will, as if he can keep that promise, as if it’s up to him, as if the choice of how the world will react, if he ever comes out, will be on his hand

 

But still, hand shaking the phone practically falling, he can’t help but vow that he will. Because what else can you say to your brother? And all Snake can do is try.

 

*******

 

Trying might be harder than it would seem at first glance, given the way destiny likes to jerk his chain around, as if it wasn’t enough that he was - well what he was, Snake isn’t even going to say it, no matter if he sounds paranoid, because he saw what happened to his brother, but Wheels thinks that meeting on Canada Day to celebrate is a swell idea. Snake just so happens to think it’s a swell idea too, the fact that he can be closed to Wheels, even in the context of friends, but it makes things harder upon himself.

 

His mouth is a thin line as he advances towards the meeting center, the predisposed spot where they always end up hanging. Snake wonders why they aren’t heading to the Arcade, where there are games, and air hockey, and, well, soda, but his question is answered soon enough as soon as he sees what Wheels is holding in between his arms. Some beers, and true, the last experience Snake had with beer was not the best, but that’s not the reason he fears taking a gulp of the intoxicating drink.

 

But he has to play it cool, as cool as his (admittedly garish) wardrobe, he has to act smooth and not make a fool of himself, so he takes a sip, and tries his best to swallow, despite the lump that formed in his throat. They’re under a Canada flag, and Snake can’t help but blush when thinking about his earlier thought about the pinnacle of canadian workmanship. Even if Mike sucked arse at being a dad, and Wheels’ adopted parents weren’t exactly there to see him lashing out. He feels for his friend, and not in the way best friends are supposed to feel.

 

“Easy there, Snake”, Wheels half jokes seeing the other boy, the other almost man blush, Snake knows Wheels has no idea why he’s blushing and to him it might just appear to be the effect of the drink, and he hopes that that is all the other boy figures.

  
“Yeah, you’re right, I, hum, sorry”, So much for keeping your cool, so much for acting smooth as vanilla and ice mixed together. And now that he thinks about it’s a much better name than the Zits, which is not helping his concentration.   
  
“So, herm, where’s Joey?”, Snake asks, partly to deflect the way he’s looking at Wheels, partly out of curiosity. It doesn’t really matter where Joey is, as frankly he much prefers the alone time he has with Wheels, but it makes him not do something crazy that much harder.

 

“Chasing some tail, you know how it is”, And Snake knows how it is, if anything Joey is the one that doesn’t have to worry about those feelings, not at all, because he’s as straight as an arrow, and for a brief moment Snake actually envies Joey, before realising who he is actually envious of and retracing the path his mind chose, because no man should ever feel jealous of Joey Jeremiah.

 

Snake takes another gulp, unsure of what to do, he wants to tell Wheels more than anything, but it’s 1989, and though his brother assures him things are getting better, he doesn’t think he’s quite at that level yet. Because stuff is hard, and though he wants to tell him he also doesn’t want him to know.   
  
Yeah, his mind is a great mess like that.

  
So, instead, Snake turns to Wheels, who is sipping his beer, and, though flushed, he shares his sentiments. Something appropriate to the ocasion.   
  
“Happy Canada Day, Wheels”

 

Wheels tilts his can a tad, to indicate he noticed, and he replies.

  
“You too, pal, you too.”   
  
And really, Snake is fine as “Pal”. He assures himself of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I was having a conversation with PugMaster, making my usual joke about Snake and Wheels spending the day hooking up with one another, though logically, this being 1989 and the characters being how they are, it'd be a crack ship, when she suggested I write it, despite all that.
> 
> So I did. Happy Canada Day to all the Canadian Folk, and to the rest of the world, hey it's the beginning of the month, to a great new month!


End file.
